The Longhouse Proposal for Objects Classified by Mediums

In 1996, with funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, Jack Lenor Larsen and an advisory committee composed of distinguished museum and design professionals developed "Objects Classified by Mediums" in response to the concern that existing systems do not provide the tools for comparing information on objects. A common understanding and definitions of terms are crucial to the success of a classification project meant to cross institutional and national boundaries. "Objects Classified by Mediums" seeks to organize areas of study in fiber, clay, metal, wood, and so on, to allow curators and scholars to compare information on similar methods used, build a conceptual framework for the greater understanding of whole categories of objects rather than as isolated works, and provide a finding tool for cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary investigation.